KfW approves

The US$810 million Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) project is expected to be completed in 2015.

Construction of the 160 MW Ouarzazate concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) project begun in Morocco during May 2013. The US$810 million project is expected to be completed in 2015.

A consortium led by Saudi developer ACWA Power won the contract to build the solar thermal plant in September 2012, with financing coming from the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank.

It is the first of a two-phase solar energy project, due for completion in 2020, which is expected to cover 3,000 hectares and have a generation capacity of 500 MW, enough to meet the electricity needs of Ouarzazate